dollheid – prize draw!

Its amazing what a wee break from the daily commute can do to one’s all-round productivity. I’m happily working on several research projects at the moment, as I always do at this time of year, but I am also finding the spare time and energy to devote to designing. Can I just say how much I am enjoying it? Well, I really am. Here is the first of several forthcoming colourwork designs: Dollheid. Heid (pronounced heed) is a colloquial term for head in these parts, and the dolls are self-explanatory. Here is my heid in its dollheid:

Despite the expression, let me assure you that I love this tam deeply. I knit two other prototypes in different yarn, trying out different shaping methods, before this one was finished. With this incarnation – size, shaping, yarn, colour – I am totally and completely happy. I love the dusky tones of the yarn, and also love the way the yarn behaves. There’s no need for me to tell you how I feel about Shetland, but it really is the best stuff for stranded colourwork, and the Jamiesons relaxes and blooms really beautifully after blocking.

You will see that I have taken many of the design features of the paper dolls sweater — peeries, i-cord cast on, corrugated rib — and have incorporated them into the tam. All these things worked really well. Another thing I am pleased about is the way that the dolls have achieved a sort of geometric integrity quite apart from any representational qualities they may have. (Um, did I really just write that sentence? Lets try again:) What I mean is that one of the reasons they look so pleasing is that, when arranged in a circle around the crown of the tam, they suggest one abstract shape as well as eighteen dolls.

(Norah Gaughan writes about this geometric arrangement gubbins far better than I can). Anyhow, after some enjoyable wrestling with illustrator (one can produce such deluxe charts if one works at it! I’m amazed!) I am happy to report the pattern is just about finished (hurrah!), and I will release it on Monday. But before I do, I wanted to say a small thanks to all of you — for your encouragement and support of my designs — and I thought I’d give away ten copies of the pattern to ten commenters on this post. So, if you are interested in a free copy of the dollheid pattern, just leave a comment here, and I’ll pick the winners at random on Monday morning, August 3rd (my time) before I put the pattern up for sale.

I am also an academic and mixing my summer with yarn and research. In fact, despite the sweltering heat in Portland, OR (unseasonable, everyone assures me, as my husband and I just moved here), I just finished Owls in a bulky purple tweed from my aunt’s stash. This summer I am challenging myself (more with knitting than research) and am working on an aran hat for my guy, a trial for my first aran sweater. I would love to finish the summer by knitting a dollheid for me. Please add me to the drawing! Thanks.

I read your blog with great interest- both the knitting content and all the other stuff- historical and cultural. Your gorgeous tam combines the things I love about your blog. Thanks for another great design.

I first saw the picture of your hat when you first posted it Wednesday. I came back Thursday thinking about it again. I wasn’t planning on posting, I just kept thinking about it. I’ve never taken a shot at colorwork, but I can’t help think it would be fun. Last night I had a dream about myself, playing in the snow wearing that hat, only half way through the dream, the hat turned purple then green then blue. I’m making this hat, I know this now, but picking the colors will be the hardest part. Thanks for sharing your talent!

and thank you for posting the wonderful pics of your adventures around & about scotland–they are a cool drink of water (or maybe a dark and delicious pint) for this desert dweller (far far away in new mexico). I hope to visit the land again someday …

I am so excited to see another pattern from you! Actually, I just started knitting my first “test” sweater (or vest rather because I am still a bit afraid of sleeves), done in cheap acrylic yarn I have a bunch of just sitting there, and if that goes ok, I plan to finally knit a real sweater! Of course it is going to be ‘owls’ because that is one of my most favorite designs ever! But I am very excited about this pattern because hats I *can* knit :)

What a wonderful tam! Congratulations! It remembers me of an old (Italian)nursery rhyme “Giro-girotondo, quanto è bello il mondo” (ring-a-ring-o’-roses, how beautiful is the world…)
Greetings from Italy
Betta

The shaping is perfect. That seems to be difficult to achieve in tam patterns, but you worked it beautifully. This would be a cheery way to meet a grey winter morning. Love the pattern. Love the pattern. Love the pattern.

My! So much competition for this pattern! Too fun. I totally love your blog, your patterns and your latest dancing dolls tam. However, if I win it I would knit it up with my own hand-dyed and handspun yarn instead! ;)

Oh Lord woman you have struck gold again–this time in the form of Shetland dolls! I’ll def. be making this as I am a major tam enthusiast, and I do believe this might be the first time I’ve spied you with your plaits down. Love!

Thank you for making another lovely pattern available! I am currently waiting for my yarn to arrive for my paper dolls – I can’t wait to get started! While I’m waiting, I’m finishing up my owls. I guess you could say I’m on a bit of a Kate Davies patterns roll :)
Again, thanks for your great patterns, and I can’t wait to see what other colorwork projects you have in store!

What gorgeous detail. And again, like the sweater, the figures remind me of a knit vest I had when I was little. You have perfectly managed to tread the line between playful and elegant. Really lovely!

What a brilliant idea to place the tight-knit circle of dolls on a heid. I’ll have to get hold of some Jamieson’s and try a copy. I think you scored a coup with this pattern. I appreciate your blog. Its unique historical perspective appeals to me, and I also enjoy visiting Scotland vicariously. About 50 years ago I went to a camp in Aberfoyle with 50 Scots and 50 Danes – glorious!

What a fab design. I haven’t tried colourwork yet so looks a good project to start with… Thanks for your blog, I really enjoy it and your incredibly intellectual sentence with the follow up explanation made me laugh out loud :)

I just wanted to say that I love your patterns and I think this is another great piece. I don’t actually want to win it as it looks to advanced for me but everything about it makes me smile particularly the name (there’s something wonderful about auld Scots words).

Wonderful tam! It’s of that kind of things that not only warm your head,but lift up your spirit and make you smile… Didn’t decide yet it would be better on my or my daugters head?….:)
Thanks for sharing!

I’d love a copy of this pattern – whether or not I win! Am loving your designs so far. At the minute, have just put down my Lyttelton to check out my subscriptions Google Reader – am procrastinating doing work!

Oh that’s lovely! I like the way the dolls’ eyes can look very faintly sinister too :-D (or perhaps that’s just me?). I love the colours but I can also imagine a Hallowe’en version where the dolls have bright lime green eyes!

Oooh, I love the play with words! Dolheid (only one “l”) in Dutch means something like “frolicky madness” or “mild insanity”, dol being the “mad” part and heid being the “ness” part. Am I stating the obvious? By the way, I did not mean to participate in the competition, it’s just that my linguist’s mind got carried away :S

I am often reminded of your “twee” post, and although that term may sound negative for some, the twee-factor in your designs delights me to no end. Twee coupled with shetland yarn is just about as good as it gets. Yay.

Even if there wasn’t a prize draw I would have commented to tell how beautiful this is. Although hard to explain I see what you mean about the dolls working well with this shape in more than one way. It’s such a pretty design!

Your tam is beautiful! Just found your blog via Ravelry where someone in my friends faved dollheid :)
Very interesting and somewhat disturbing is the story about the mac you gave away. It leaves one with mixed feelings how people behave – strange!
Anyway – keep up the good work and happy knitting! Greetings from Southern Bavaria,
Maria,
who most definitely will be back to visit your blog :)

Yay! I was never gonna have time to knit the doll sweater, but this may be even better, definitely going to give this one go. Your designs are great, I’m hoping it’s going to be a very productive summer for you….

Another wonderful design. I love the colours too. It’s about time I tried some colourwork, so yes, please – I’d love to go into the draw. My daughters all love wearing hats. I’m heading to Scotland on Monday, for a week in Plockton, a week on Skye and a long weekend in Edinburgh … fingers crossed that I return to a pattern. Also do you have any suggestions for good yarn shops (Shilasdair aside) where I might buy some Jamiesons – don’t think I’ve seen it in my neck of the woods.

I like the subtley of the tam. If you had described it as a tam with dolls on it I think many would think it childish, but I really like the historic and geometric quality of it. It has this feeling of being worn by an mom or aunt and handed down. I think the color choice has a lot to do with it.

Ah, so beautiful!! I just finished Owls and was so impressed by the clarity and adorableness of the pattern, I think I might have to make another soon! Paper dolls is on my queue and this pattern has made its way to the top of my queue. :D

I would love to receive a copy of the pattern! I enjoy looking at your knitting very much too. Could you possibly send me the tam instead? Just kidding. Your prototype looks smashing on you and it will look stylish with your matching pullover.

What a lovely hat! The wee dolls really made me smile this afternoon! And on the day of the Worst Exam Ever (TM), that’s really something. Love the yarn you’ve used as well, I bet your heid won’t be getting cold this winter :)